Hegseth faces removal drive after Nov. 3 vote

House Democrats are preparing to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a move they intend to execute if they win a majority in the November 3 midterm elections. The plan involves drafting articles of impeachment now so the process can begin immediately once the chamber reconstitutes.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, outlined the strategy at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. Jeffries stated that removing Hegseth would be a primary objective for the new leadership. "One of the first things we're going to do in the majority, we're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town," Jeffries said.

Criticism of the defense secretary has grown across party lines in recent months. Rep. Pramila Jayapal characterized Hegseth as incompetent and corrupt during a recent interview. Rep. Jared Huffman used stronger language, describing Hegseth as an unhinged fanatic who warrants removal from office.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has also filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth. Massie, who serves as an outspoken critic of the current administration's foreign policy, accused the secretary of abusing his office. Specifically, Massie alleged that Hegseth executed an order for hostilities against Iran without securing prior approval from Congress.

Massie intends to force a vote on the impeachment shortly after the House returns to session on Nov. 9. This date falls one week after the midterm elections, providing a narrow window for the new leadership to act on their agenda.

The political maneuvering coincides with scrutiny of Hegseth's recent diplomatic activities. The defense secretary held a secret meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Israel's Ovda air base on Monday. The encounter took place days before Israel's domestic election. Hegseth confirmed the visit occurred but declined to detail the specific topics discussed.

According to reports, the conversation centered primarily on Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz attended the meeting. Other senior Israeli military figures, including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, were excluded from the gathering for reasons of confidentiality.